The Sin of Sexism

The draft pastoral statement on women from the National Conference of Catholic Bishops will be judged in many ways.

Those within the Roman Catholic communion, understanding the constraints imposed by the authoritarian structure of the church, will be surprised by the vigor and inspiration of the American bishops. By condemning the “sin of sexism” and calling for new leadership roles for women at almost every level of the church except the priesthood, the bishops are pushing to the very limits allowed by the stringent traditional doctrine reaffirmed so often by Pope John Paul II.

Those outside the church, while welcoming this recognition of the evils of sexism and this affirmation of sexual equality, will inevitably be disappointed that the proposals for improving the status of women are so modest. The bishops have restated their arguments for lifting the Vatican’s ban on female altar servers and for letting women read the Scripture to the congregation at Mass, but as for admitting women as deacons and letting them administer some sacraments, the letter suggests only that such a possibility be studied.

For many, probably for most American Roman Catholics, the compassionate tone of the letter on the subject of contraception will be welcome. The bishops recognize that “many women experience official teaching on family planning not as liberating but as oppressive.” The letter makes no concession to the absolute opposition to artificial contraception, but it strikes a conciliatory tone in encouraging “a spirit of compassion towards those who in good conscience have not lived in accord with the ideals set forth by the church.”

On non-church issues, the letter is more emphatic. The bishops commit themselves to “support legislation and affirmative action laws that assure women equal opportunity and treatment and that remove sex discrimination.” They reaffirm John Paul’s support of a so-called “family wage” for wage earners so that women have the option of staying home in a traditional role as mother and homemaker but also are free to work, a right to be protected by laws ensuring parental leave without job discrimination.

Despite the soul-searching and the willingness to tackle troubling issues that are evident in the letter, there is an obvious contradiction between the bishops’ intentions and the means of implementation they propose. They decry the “unjust practices within the church” toward women and acknowledge that the church law against the ordination of women causes “frustration” and “alienation,” but they do not directly challenge it.

Eventually, the American bishops and the rest of the church hierarchy will have to face up to this contradiction. Women are already assuming greater roles in some parishes where the restrictions imposed by official teaching are quietly ignored. Because of the shortage of priests, the contributions of women are crucial to sustaining many parishes. In time, the church may recognize how much women can offer--and how much is lost by not making full use of their talents and their faith.

In the meantime, this letter promises dialogue with the women of the church. That is an impressive commitment. The dialogue will be counter-productive, however, unless there is evidence that it is making a difference.